Saturday, September 18, 2010

Aerobars

Here are the latest way in which local triathlon stores have managed to squeeze a little bit more of my hard earned cash out of me..... aerobars!

In this case I consider it money well spent. For the uninitiated, apart from borrowning Roberto Contodor's heart, lungs and legs, one of the best way to improved your cycling efficiency is to reduce drag by becomming more aerodynamic. These babies help by allowing you to hold a more streamlined position by resting your forearms on the pads and your hands ahead of you (and close together) on the bars. These are Porfile Design T2+. They are made of aluminum and pretty light. A carbon version is available, but the few extra grams in weight saving didn't seem worth the extra money.

You do lose a bit of control, but after only a couple of rides I now find them pretty comfortable! Here are a couple more pictures:

Another plus is that they also provide a place to add a drink holder without significantly affecting aerodynamics. With this set-up you can "drink on the go" during races - I'm looking forward to trying it out during the race on Sunday!﻿

Here's what the "cockpit" will look like for Sunday's race:

And here's my trusty steed all kitted out and ready to race! Lubricated; brakes checked; saddle tightened and tires (or tyres if you're in the UK!) inflated.